Golf ball retrievers are commonly used to recover small objects (e.g., golf balls) that are difficult to otherwise reach. For example, when a golf ball is directed into a body of water (e.g., a pond or lake), a golf ball retriever may be used to reach into the water and recover the golf ball. Existing designs, such as the golf ball retriever disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,926, which is hereby incorporated by reference, provide a telescoping handle that is compact when not in use and extendable to the desired length during use. The distal end of the telescoping handle includes two circular members—a reactive member and a stationary member—that are connected via pivot pins and move relative to one another via a spring. Initially, the reactive member and the stationary member are aligned in parallel. When the spring contacts a golf ball, it causes the reactive member to rotate relative to the stationary member, thereby surrounding the golf ball between the two members.
While helpful in recovering golf balls, existing golf ball retriever designs may be limited. For instance, the connection between the reactive member and the spring is known to break and the pivot pins on which the reactive member rotates create a binding joint. Accordingly, there is a need for improved devices and methods to address the above mentioned deficiencies. Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to these and other considerations.